Wednesday, February 23, 2011

UPDATE: I've since come up with a better red velvet cake recipe that I'm satisfied with (after 7 tries) that I posted HERE.

I was completely surprised by the enthusiastic response to my last post, especially the food styling sketches I shared. Thanks, you guys! Sketching won't be to everyone's taste, but I do really find it helps me stay organized when I'd otherwise leave all preparation to the last second 8). I also have to confess I started sketching more as a way to kill time during my 1 1/2 hour public transit commute to school than out of pure devotion to photography. You never do know what circumstances will end up improving your skills! Now, as promised, I'm back with not only a freshly baked treat but a "behind-the-scenes" look at my (really quite simple) photo set-up. But first let me say a few things about these velvet cupcakes.

Let's talk food coloring...I'm simply not a fan and try to avoid it most of the time. Yet I'm also a girl who demands her right to like pretty, colorful things from time to time. Is that worth a bottle or more of food coloring for a single recipe? Not for me...which is why this isn't my first time making "redless" velvet cupcakes. You're obviously welcome to your own views on the matter, though ^_^. Which is why you'll find directions for adding food coloring, should you desire it, in the headnotes to the recipe below.

Now it's on to flavor and texture...I'm by no means a true American Southerner or even a connoisseur of red velvets. But I do have an image of the "perfect" red velvet cupcake based on what I liked and didn't in the dozen or so I've sampled thus far. First and foremost, it needs to be moist and tender. It shouldn't taste like chocolate cake, yet there must be enough cocoa to make each bite flavorful. I also couldn't do without some tanginess, which should be subtle in the cake and more prominent in the cream cheese frosting.

While the original recipe I followed (the one pictured above) fell short of my red velvet ideal, my significantly tweaked version published below was greatly improved on all counts. I'm not the type to call anything "The Best" but this is by far the most delicious out of the 5 recipes I've tried! What I am still on the hunt for, however, is a recipe for fluffy but not supersweet cream cheese frosting (meaning no more than 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar per 8 oz. of cream cheese/butter). Can ya please help a girl out? 8)

Now as requested, this photo and those below are of the set-up I used to take the top photo in this post. I use a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS camera most often with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens. Both are on the lower end of the price range for dSLR equipment. Though I love my XS, I'd recommend starting with a slightly higher-end model if you plan to use it often. Regardless of the camera, I guarantee the 50mm lens is a great buy and much cheaper than most lenses of such high quality. FYI, my camera isn't pictured above since I had to use it to take the photo 8D.

What you can see are 2 white foam boards (available at most craft or art supply stores) and a round 40-inch 5-in-1 flexible reflector (mine is this one from Amazon) to bounce light back onto the food. In this shot I used the silver side of the reflector, but you could easily replace it with another foam board that's left white or covered in aluminum foil. When I actually took my food photos, I picked up the reflector and angled it downward to reflect the maximum amount of light onto the cupcake.

I included the above photo to give you a clearer view of my window. It's quite tall (almost 5 feet) and almost twice as wide and faces west. If you look closely, you may see the seams of large pieces of white parchment paper that I've taped together then up across the entire window to soften the often-harsh natural light. You could use vellum paper (available at art supply stores) or a sheer white curtain for the same effect. I use one of the above materials to diffuse the light for practically all my food photos. Finally, I want to draw your attention to the styrofoam pieces below the window and next to the heating vent. Sometimes when the food or props look tilted in a photo despite adjusting my shooting angle, I use small pieces of styrofoam or balled up foil underneath to level things out.

Finally, I included this shot to show you my tripod. Seriously I have the shakiest hands known to man, which have gotten worse due to some sleep problems I've been having. So believe me when I say that I NEED my tripod to get clear shots. Fortunately, even the cheap ones can greatly improve your photography. I have this one from Amazon. What you see above, though, is not only the tripod but also this 38-inch horizontal tripod arm extender. It's neither as crucial nor as affordable as my tripod, but I've found it really helpful for getting overhead shots or just squeezing into tight corners in my small apartment.

I hope this is interesting/helpful to some of you. As I've said before, I'm always happy to take your questions or suggestions about content you'd be interested in for future posts.

XIAOLU’S NOTES: It’s my personal decision to avoid this large an amount of food coloring, but you should feel free to make these red if you’d like. To do that, add 1 tablespoon of liquid red food coloring to the batter with the liquid ingredients. Speaking of buttermilk, I love its favor but rarely have it on hand, so I often use the following substitution. For 1/2 cup of buttermilk substitute, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of white or cider vinegar and add enough milk to make 1/2 cup total. Stir well and let sit for at least 5 minutes before using. While delicious, the cinnamon frosting actually overshadowed the cupcake a bit for me and reminded me more of a carrot cake, so I'm leaving the spice optional in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with 12 baking liners [with 2 standalone baking cups OR another pan and 2 baking liners ready just in case].

Sift the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a large bowl; set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the oil, butter, buttermilk, applesauce, egg, yolk, vinegar, and vanilla until well combined. Then add the wet ingredients to to the dry, and gently fold them together, mixing just until combined and the batter has no large lumps (tiny lumps are fine).

Distribute batter evenly among baking cups, filling each about 2/3 full. When finished, slam the whole pan firmly downward from 1 to 2 inches above the counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 16 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe or spread on frosting. Top with chocolate-covered raisins, if using, and enjoy with friends!

Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar mixture at a time, mixing until evenly combined between each addition. Before adding the last portion of sugar, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure even mixing. Finally add vanilla, then beat on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Hi Xiaolu !I love that you share your behind the scene story and photos. The power of sharing. Now people will know, how beautiful food photos can be produced at home with cheap tools and available light (natural light is the best !)

We use the same camera and lens :) What a nice coincidence. I really love to see your blog with more behind the scene stories and photos.

I also have a blog of behind the scene story of food photography. Hope we can learn from each other.

I absolutely adore this shot! I esp love the dollop of icing on top... sitting there waiting patiently to be eaten. 50mm are the best, right? I have to admit, I get really lazy, or by the time it comes to blogging, I'm tired (both or either or). I went out and bought a softbox (to difuse the light and give me more light) as opposed to what I was using.. umbrella, reflector, background sheets... and yet, I'm too lazy to break it out... I wish it were more portable as they sell it for... between home and the condo/biz I end up baking for clients, and never bring my softbox..

I think I've lost some passion in the last week... so I appreciate this post...and get me out of my funk...

That said, you and I both.. I hate food coloring, I don't mind natural food coloring though, if it is plant based, but I try to avoid it if I can...

I know in France and Japan they try and use mostly plant based coloring (I could be wrong)...

It makes me cringe to think about all the dye used to get the red velvet.. RED...

I love the fact that you went with a redless red velvet cake, I've been wanting to try that for some time now since I really hate the idea of adding food coloring to my baking. The best red velvet cake I've had to date has to be from Doughboys in LA, it's so incredibly moist, but it's very very red :-(

Thank you so, so much Xiaolu! That was a great description of your process and the photos really help. I must find some time one of these days to figure out where is the best spot in my house. If only there were more hours in the day!

Thankyou Xiaolu! I need to save up for the extension now!:-)Isn't that cupcake cute as a button?I work with my point and shoot Nikon, which has undergone repairs and needs gentle coaxing but working in natural light does get me through!

So lovely- I'm thrilled to see that you're working with natural colors, too! As much as I love a brightly hued dessert, I'm just not crazy about the idea of actually -eating- something of ridiculous shades. One must always remember that these things are meant to be eaten at the end of the day!

Hope your sleap problems get better :) I love your little studio! I made red velvet cake the other day, and i like it when it's red but those cupcakes look amazing without the red food coloring! Kisses, Just Cake girl!

RFR - Hehe unfortunately it's a little more complicated than just throwing down food and clicking where it falls. But it's really not that difficult. I didn't even prepare a sketch for this shoot and I'm so used to my setup that it's second nature by now. Mine is actually relatively cheap and simple compared to more professional photographers hehe.

Elra - you take lovely photos and of course make stunning treats, my friend. I am glad though if these tips were helpful. For the board, I actually made my boyfriend do it, but it's simply white paint/primer layered on with a coarse-bristled paintbrush. Nothing fancy!

Thank you so much for the insight, Xiaolu! Photography is definitely something I need to and want to improve for my blog and personal goals. I, too, haven't found my "perfect" red velvet cake recipe yet but I'm anxious to see yours!

I know so very little about photography and it's so much fun to read about it from another blogger's perspective! I'm not big on adding huge globs of food coloring to baked goods, which is why I use gel coloring...that way you only have to use the slightest bit to get the color you desire! These red velvets sound wonderful.

You have been a real inspiration to me. I decided to really kick it up a notch on my recent photography. I can't wait to publish my results. One is for a flourless cake with a chai frosting and the other is a surprise. I had so much fun hunting around my house for props and trying out different layouts. That was almost as much fun as inviting a few friends over to eat my chocolate baked treats.

Thanks so much for all the information and tips! Very helpful post. I especially like the tip about the tripod and extension arm! Now I know all of the "behind the scenes" effort that goes into your shots:) Delicious cupcakes!

That's such a wonderful post Xiaolu! You've explaine dthe whole set up very well and I'm just so proud of you for taking time and listing everything so properly for your readers! But the thing that I'm even more proud of is that u make story boards/sketches for your styling to stay organized and on track and you LOVE 50mm. Those are the two critical steps in my photography process too that I can just not live without!keep up the good work!

I love the food-photography vibe this post has ;) I never seem to have the time lately to make pictures during the day of my cupcakes (and more), and sometimes I don't even bother using a good camera. so my pictures are less than perfect lately...but I love yours!!

I can't wait to try these! I'm terribly afraid of food coloring, but still want a velvety cupcake! Love how fluffy the frosting looks - even in the South, cream cheese frosting is usually pasty and heavy!

i think the secret to a good cream cheese frosting is just whipping the heck out of it. whip the cream cheese, then add a little sugar and whip some more, then add the rest and whip some more. whip it good. :)

Great post Xiaolu! I suck at photography, so these posts are all super helpful!! That cupcake looks awesome, and the red doesn't really matter to me, but that's probably because I haven't grown up with it, it's really new to me :)

I'm always searching for ways to improve my food photography. I've had my Canon Rebel T2i for 3 months now and am still trying to figure it out. Natural light is huge for getting a great photo, but I think the key is in the diffusing. I will have to try it. I'm hoping to have great photos like yours someday!

I was just going to come over and say that I featured your blog - but you have already seen it! It would be very cool to meet in real life - you live in the US though, right? I'm all the way down here in Australia so I might have to start saving my pennies :P

Thanks, Xiaolu for the insight. Very often getting the right light is important but you have a talent for styling as well. Quick question- is the canon 50mm f1.8 a macro lens? I thought it is just a standard 50mm lens with a wide aperture. I also use the Canon rebel :)

Oh, sweetie, I have never made a red velvet cake exactly because of the huge amount of food coloring... Buttermilk is not sold here in Brazil, so I always use this kind of substitution (and the results are really good).

Thank you Thank you Thank you!! And keep these posts coming. Your window and the spot of photography sounds exactly like mine. I have a tall window facing west. But I own less than half the other equipments you have. (I have a white cabinet door :-) ). The styrofoam is a great tip. I need to cover my window and need to learn to use my camera the right way. Can't thank you enough for this post.

I'm new to food photography and you have no idea how helpful your last 2 behind the scenes posts have been! most people just show you the end product or give you verbose advice without showing how it is done, so thanks a lot :D

I just found your blog, and your photographs are beautiful! I know this was a while ago but you mentioned wanting a good cream cheese frosting recipe. this is a recipe for a brown sugar cream cheese frosting, and it was seriously amazing!

Hey Xiaolu - the two posts you told me about (including this one) pretty much answers my questions! You really have a studio set up by the window, that's so cool :) I'm gonna go get some vellum paper and cover a board in foil now, I didn't know those could make such a difference. Thanks so much!

Xiaolu, this is a great post! I find the most difficult thing about food photography is the light (especially in London, where both light and storage space for photo kit are at a premium!), but seeing your styling tricks makes me realize how much more I could be doing with my styling. I'm pretty lazy about it, truthfully. Thanks for the inspiration to try a few new things!

That is such a beautiful looking cupcake and thanks for the photography tips! I never knew what to do when the light from the east-facing windows in my house were just too bright that it creates a glaring effect on the food...

Just discovered this post and I too use the same camera but with kit lens 18-55 (3.5-5.6)). thinking of buying the 50mm/1.8 lens, are you still using this lens or upgraded? But before that I need to learn managing the shadows lot better. thnks for sharing!!

you should check out my cream cheese frosting recipe, it contains no powdered sugar or butter but rather brown sugar and cream! All my friends and family don't eat very sweet frosting (or skip frostings entirely) and they will eat this one plain out of a jar :)http://www.thesweetart.com/p/my-favorite-things.html(scroll down for recipe)